VLS

Team Totals

The ice pack wasn't all that helped Morgan Loudenslager withstand the pain in her ankle.

Swimming her season-best time in the 100-yard freestyle made the Victoria West junior feel much better.

"I feel like I did pretty well," she said, "considering I hit my ankle."

Loudenslager hit her ankle on the wall during the turn in the 50-yard freestyle, which she won in a time of 28.60 seconds during a tri-meet with Victoria East and Tuloso-Midway on Thursday night at the Victoria Aquatics Center.

She also finished second in the 100 freestyle in a time of 1:03.78.

"She's a very competitive person," said VISD girls coach Ashley Wernke. "She likes to push herself. I just try to pair her up with a similar-speed swimmer. We do a lot of racing and things to challenge her to try and pass - a lot of tapering, too."

Loudenslager's immediate goal is to qualify for the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association meet scheduled for Jan. 11 at Tuloso-Midway.

Loudenslager's best time in the 50 is 28.20, and she needs to swim a 28-flat to earn a spot.

"I only started swimming when I was a freshman," she said. "I think I've improved big time. I've dropped from a 32 to a 28."

Wernke knows Loudenslager will work hard toward her goal, even if it means utilizing an early taper.

"Her being a sprinter, it's hard to drop the time," Wernke said. "But just seeing her from last year, she has already dropped her time. I think she can do it."